1295: ‘Cathair’ (1)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
‘Cathair’ (1)
Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil sibh eòlach air an fhacal cathair. Seo na chanas am faclair Brìgh nam Facal: Cathair: Suidheachan, mar as trice le cùl; sèithear.
Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun tàinig am facal cathair a-steach don Ghàidhlig bhon Laidinn cathedra. Agus fhuair na Ròmanaich am facal sin roimhe bho na seann Ghreugaich. Tha am faclair Laidinn agam ag innse seo dhomh: Cathedra: armchair, sedan chair, teacher’s chair. Thàinig dà fhacal chumanta a-steach don Bheurla bhon dearbh fhreumh Laidinn – chair agus cathedral.
Tha faclair Dwelly ag innse seo dhuinn: Cathair: chair, seat, bench, throne. Airson dèanamh soilleir gu bheil sinn a’ bruidhinn mu throne, seach cathair air choreigin eile, canaidh sinn rìgh-chathair oir bidh rìgh na shuidhe oirre aig amannan. Rìgh-chathair.
Tha ciall eile air cathair, ge-tà. Ann am Brìgh nam Facal, seo e: Cathair: baile glè mhòr, nas cudromaiche na baile-mòr. No, ann am faclair Dwelly – town, city, fortified city. Thug Alasdair MacBheathain sùil air cathair anns an fhaclair aige ‘An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language’. Ghabh e ris gun tàinig cathair bho cathedra nuair a tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘chair, seat’. Ach bha e dhen bheachd gu bheil a’ chiall eile a’ ceangal an fhacail ri castrum ann an Laidinn, agus caer ann an Cuimris. Chan eil a h-uile duine – ann an Alba no anns a’ Chuimrigh – a’ dol le sin.
Cha bu chòir a bhith na iongnadh gu bheil ceangal ann eadar cathair agus baile-mòr. Bha cathair a’ seasamh airson cathedra – a’ chathair mhòr thogte anns am biodh easbaig na shuidhe. Agus, ann an cuid de dhùthchannan, ann an làithean tràtha na h-Eaglaise, b’ e ‘baile-mòr’ no city baile anns an robh eaglais aig easbaig. Canaidh sinn cathedral ri eaglais aig easbaig ann am Beurla. Agus dè a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ air cathedral? Tha – cathair-eaglais.
Mar sin, tha cathair leatha fhèin a’ ciallachadh ‘city’ cuideachd. Cathair no cathair-bhaile. Airson ‘the city centre’, canaidh sinn meadhan a’ bhaile, meadhan a’ chathair-bhaile no meadhan na cathrach.
Nise, tha ciall eile air cathair agus chithear sin air mapaichean. Tha Dwelly ga aithris mar ‘knoll, hillock, fairy-knoll’. Saoilidh mi gu bheil e co-cheangailte ri sluagh no gaisgeach – àite daingeann anns am biodh iadsan no esan a’ fuireach.
Tha am facal cadair no cader ann an Cuimris ag obair anns an aon dòigh. Tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘chair’ ach cuideachd ‘stronghold, fort or mountain shaped like a chair’. Tha beinn ainmeil anns a’ Chuimrigh air a bheil Cader Idris. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh Cathair Idris. B’ e Idris an dàrna cuid famhair ann am beul-aithris no prionnsa Cuimreach anns na meadhan-aoisean – Idris ap Gwyddno.
A bheil am facal cathair a’ nochdadh ann an co-cheangal ri cnuic no beanntan ann an ainmean-àite Gàidhlig mar a tha sa Chuimrigh? Uill, tha – agus bheir sinn sùil orra an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: Alasdair MacBheathain: Alexander MacBain; làithean tràtha; early days; sluagh: host, group of people; daingeann: fortified; Cuimris: Welsh language.
Abairtean na Litreach: gun tàinig am facal a-steach don Ghàidhlig bhon Laidinn: that the word came into Gaelic from the Latin; fhuair na Ròmanaich am facal sin roimhe bho na seann Ghreugaich: the Romans got that word previously from the Ancient Greeks; thàinig dà fhacal chumanta a-steach don Bheurla bhon dearbh fhreumh Laidinn: two common words came into the English language from the very same Latin root; airson dèanamh soilleir gu bheil sinn a’ bruidhinn mu: to make clear that we are speaking about; seach cathair air choreigin eile: rather than some other chair; bha e dhen bheachd gu bheil a’ chiall eile a’ ceangal an fhacail ri: he reckoned that the other meaning links the word to; cha bu chòir a bhith na iongnadh gu bheil: it shouldn’t be a surprise that; a’ chathair mhòr thogte anns am biodh easbaig na shuidhe: the large raised chair in which a bishop would sit; chithear sin air mapaichean: that can be seen on maps; tha beinn ainmeil anns a’ Chuimrigh air a bheil X: there is a famous mountain in Wales called X; a bheil am facal cathair a’ nochdadh ann an co-cheangal ri cnuic no beanntan ann an ainmean-àite Gàidhlig?: does the word cathair appear [is it appearing] in connection with hills of mountains in Gaelic place names?
Puing-chànain na Litreach: B’ e Idris an dàrna cuid famhair ann am beul-aithris no prionnsa Cuimreach anns na meadhan-aoisean: Idris was either a giant in oral tradition or a Welsh prince in the middle ages. Although dàrna means ‘second’ in a series, it is also used idiomatically to indicate one of a pair (as in air an dàrna làimh ‘one the one hand’). Thus, it can be used for a choice of one out of two as in bidh an dàrna cuid Seumas no a bhràthair ann ‘either James or his brother will be there’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan eil a h-uile duine a’ dol le sin: not everybody agrees with that.
Tha “Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh” air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 991
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